In the past, various water faucets have been produced and used by consumers in their offices or homes which have used different techniques to control water flow through the water faucet spouts. Most of the water faucets that were manufactured and sold in the past utilized both hot and cold, separate water control valve members in the form of water control units or knobs that were individually controlled to turn on or off the flow of water through the spout of the water faucet. These water control units or knobs were usually located spaced from the water faucet's spout in a convenient location on or adjacent to the sink to permit easy access thereto and use thereof by the hands of a person desiring to turn on (and subsequently off) the water faucet.
In order to facilitate the operation of controlling water flow through a water faucet and to eliminate the use of two separate water control units or knobs, a single water control unit or knob was developed which was generally centrally disposed adjacent to, but separate from the spout of the water faucet. One type of such a single water control unit or knob is known as the MOEN water controlled water faucet system. The MOEN water faucet permits water to flow out of the faucet when the single control unit or knob is elevated and returning the knob to its original low position causes the water flow out of the faucet to cease. Hot or cold water selection is achieved by rotation of the single control unit or knob to the right for cold water or to the left for hot water.
The use of the prior art water faucet systems including the MOEN water faucet system requires the use of both hands to turn the water faucet and simultaneously position a glass, cup or other container under the spout of the prior art water faucet system to receive water therefrom.
In recent years, people have become greatly concerned about obtaining purified or filtered water for drinking or other purposes i.e. food preparation, etc. because of possible contamination of water sources used to deliver water to consumers thereof. For example, pollutants from industrial plants near a water source that is going to a large population area have created great concerns to a health conscious public.
As a result, a significant water treatment industry has been developed to provide people with purified or filtered water. Carbon and other types of filtration systems have been developed to insure delivery of high quality water to consumers. Accordingly, water systems in homes and businesses have been created or modified to incorporate water filtration or purification devices to significantly increase the quality of the water that is to be used.
For these purified or filtered water systems, special faucets were developed to produce the external flow of water to be used by the consumers. These special faucets generally did not have both hot and cold water options from the same faucet, but were primarily concerned with the delivery of high purity water.
The subject invention is primarily directed to an improved water faucet especially useful for producing a flow of purified or filtered water.
Accordingly, a need existed for a much simpler water faucet system especially useful for delivering high purity water that is capable of operation using only one hand to control the flow of water, that would permit the flow of water out of the water faucet to be stopped by merely removing a person's hand from contact with the water control unit of the water faucet system, and that would even permit a person to use the same one hand to both turn the water on and to simultaneously pour water into a cup, glass or container.
A major problem with prior art water faucet systems was the fact that a positive action was needed to both turn on and turn off the water faucet. Consequently, we have all seen situations at various times and at different locations where the person turning on the water faucet forgot to turn it off thereby resulting in a loss of significant amounts of water. Since water is a valuable asset and, in some areas, a very scarce and precious commodity, it is extremely important to protect this commodity by insuring that a water faucet is turned off after a person's use thereof.
Thus, there is a great need for a water faucet systems that is naturally or automatically turned off when a person discontinues use of the water system to avoid continued flow and loss of water and thereby effecting significant water savings. Such a water faucet system operable by only one hand of a person is highly advantageous and desirable in addition to being simple to use.